Twisted Timing
by jpstar57
Summary: Mac and Diane are twin sisters. Diane is not killed. This is a Harm & Mac shipper story.
1. Chapter 1

_**Twisted Timing**_

_**Chapter 1**_

Summary: Diane and Mac are twin sisters. Diane is not killed. The first chapter is background to explain the circumstances.

Disclaimer: I don't own what DPB and CBS have copyright on. I just like to take them out and play with them

August 14, 1968

1430 Local Time

Yuma Marine Air Station

Yuma, AZ

Deanne Mackenzie was just a week over eight months along with twins. Her husband Marine Staff Sergeant Joe Mackenzie was serving his second tour in Vietnam. He was due to come home in four months when his year of deployment was up. While he was in Vietnam, his family was living at Base Family Housing at the Yuma Marine Air Station.

On this day Deanne was in her insurance brokers' office. She was getting ready to end her work day when her receptionist Donna called in saying, "Deanne there's a Navy guy and Marine guy her to see you."

Deanne frowned as she answered, "I'll be right out."

When she came out to the reception area she saw an African Navy Chaplain and a Caucasian Marine Colonel. She recognized the colonel as the base commanding officer as she saw him from the audience when he bid her Joe and the other debarking Marines farewell when they left for deployment almost 8 months ago. She got a sick feeling in her stomach.

She managed to keep her calm as she said, "Gentlemen can I help you?"

The colonel answered saying, "Mrs. Mackenzie, I'm Colonel Jackson this is Chaplain Turner. I have been informed by the Department of the Navy and I regret to inform you that your husband Staff Sergeant Joseph Mackenzie was killed in action three days ago."

At that Deanne collapsed onto the floor and let out a long wail. Donna witnessed the whole interaction and she rushed from behind her desk to assist Deanne.

As Donna helped Deanne into the chair that Chaplain Turner pulled over, she noticed that her red skirt was wet in the front.

Being six months pregnant herself Donna said, "Deanne I think your water broke."

Deanne calmed down enough to look. She took a precautionary sniff of her skirt to ensure that she didn't urinate on herself before she said, "I have to go to the hospital. Would you gentlemen please take me? I don't think I can wait for an ambulance."

"Of course Mrs. Mackenzie," Chaplain Turner said.

He and Jackson helped get Deanne up and walked her out to their car and they went to the base hospital. On the way Deanne started to have contractions and they were coming very fast.

When she arrived at the emergency room the doctor had her brought into a private OB/GYN examination room. When he took his first look he said, "Oh boy this baby is already crowning. Get the OB resident down here stat. We don't have time to get her up to maternity."

The nurses set the room up into a birthing room soon the obstetrician arrived. Fortunately for Deanne he was her regular OB/GYN doctor who knew she was carrying twins.

As he washed his hands he said, "Hello Deanne, you're a bit early."

Deanne managed to grunt out between contractions, "I'm sorry Dr. Kelly. I just found out my Joe was killed."

"Oh I'm sorry to hear that. Okay we'll deal with that later, right now let's get your babies delivered." He set himself up at the foot of Deanne's table and started to give instructions with, "Okay people we have twins on the way."

The birth of the fraternal twin girls happened very fast. In just over 30 minutes, it was over as Deanne was given first one beautiful girl and then the other.

"What are you going to name them?" a nurse asked.

When Joe and I found out I was having twins we still didn't know the sex yet. Still we decided to name them after our parents, all of whom have passed away. Now I'll name one girl Sarah Catherine after my mother and the other one Diane Teresa after his mother."

After Deanne was taken up to a private room in the maternity ward she sat and thought of her situation. 'I can't care for two infants alone. How am I going to do this? I have to make sure that they're cared for, but I don't want to give them up.'

A bit later she had her first visitor as she heard someone gently knock on her room door and say, "Knock, knock new mommy."

"Joanne!" Deanne said opening her arms to her cousin.

Joanne Schonke was married to Robert Schonke. Robert was also a Marine holding the rank of sergeant. He was in the same company of Marines as Joe. Deanne, Joanne, Joe and Robert grew up together in Brooklyn, New York. Robert and Joe joined the marines together. After boot camp the men married their sweethearts. Though they never asked for it the men were fortunate to be stationed and deployed together. Unfortunately the Schonkes were unable to have children due to various medical reasons.

Now the two women shared a few sniffles on Joe's death and the new babies.

When they parted Deanne said, "Joanne I don't know what I'm going to do. With Joe gone, I can't take care of two infants alone.

Joanne answered, "Well I was thinking of that when I heard Joe was killed. Why don't you have one live with me and one with you. We live right next door to each other it won't be like you're abandoning one. We'll help each other out."

And that is what they did.

After Robert came back from Vietnam, his enlistment term was up. He accepted an Honorable Discharge from the Marines and the Schonkes and Deanne moved back to New York. They bought a two family house in the New York City borough of Queens. Each apartment of the house had two bedrooms, one for the adults and one for the children. Deanne took the upstairs apartment. Joe remodeled the double front door of the house to one foyer with one exterior door and two interior French doors.

Because Deanne received a substantial death benefit when Joe died in the line of duty, she was able to use it as a substantial down payment to help pay for her share of the house. They lived as an extended family, the three adults raising the two girls.

Robert was accepted into the New York City Police Academy. When he graduated he was assigned to the 101st Precinct in Far Rockaway, Queens. Also Deanne was able to get another job as an insurance broker in an office not far from her home. Between her work selling insurance and Robert's work as a police officer and Joanne being the stay at home mom, Sarah and Diane never wanted for anything

Just before Sarah turned five years old, Deanne met Donald Ragle, a widower with a son, Chris. Chris was the girls' age. Donald had just opened his own family themed restaurant down the street from Deanne's insurance office. They met when Deanne and Joanne went there to plan Diane and Sarah's 5th birthday party.

They got married after a year's courtship. Sarah, Diane and Chris looked very cute as flower girls and ring bearer. Naturally they had the reception at Donald's restaurant. Donald and Chris moved out of their apartment above the restaurant and into Deanne's home. While Chris took over the upstairs juvenile bedroom, the girls settled into the downstairs juvenile bedroom.

September 12, 1978

Deanne and Donald lived happily for almost five years, but soon Ragle's bad habits started to show themselves. You see Donald was a recovering degenerate gambler. He liked betting on the horses and going to Atlantic City, the new gambling city on the New Jersey shore. When he met Deanne, he was just starting that new recovery phase in his life.

While his restaurant was doing well, he was always tempted to gamble. He finally gave in when he found out the real estate and stock investments he made with the restaurant's profits fell through. To try and make up the losses Donald tried to increase the little money he did have by going to a casino or to the nearest Off Track Betting parlor. Unfortunately he lost it all. He then went and asked for a line of credit against the restaurant, which was granted and he immediately exceeded it.

Soon he got a letter from the bank saying that due to his inability to pay the loans off, the bank was going to seize the restaurant and sell it off to pay his debt.

After reading the letter Donald had no idea what to do. He left the restaurant to go to Deane's office and speak to her.

When Donald got to Deanne's office, he found that she was out to lunch. The insurance agency's receptionist allowed him to wait in Deanne's office. While he was there he opened an envelope addressed to her from a strange bank. He read the document inside and almost cursed out loud.

He muttered to himself, "That bitch, she' been holding out on me."

The document was a bank statement showing that Deanne had almost $50,000.00 in a savings account. Donald put the envelope down and walked out.

"I have to go. I just remembered something I have to do."

That evening while Deanne was tucking the kids in bed, Donald was drying the dishes. When she came into the kitchen he said, "When were you going to tell me about your bank account?"

"I hoped when you got over your gambling urges," Deanne said defiantly.

Before Donald could answer that she continued, "I didn't want to tell you because I knew you would gamble it away at OTB or in Atlantic City or some other crazy get rich quick scheme."

"But we're in debt up to our eyeballs. I owe a lot of people a lot of money," Donald shouted.

"That's not my problem. You're in debt. Your restaurant is in debt. We as a family are paying the bills as we need to. Our children are being fed and they have nice clothes to wear. The mortgage and utilities are being paid on time. Why do you think I kept that account separate and your name off the deed to this house? If I didn't you would have put the money and the house up as collateral on loans for the restaurant and all that money and the house would be lost and we'd be out on the street. You're not getting that money. And don't you dare try to take a loan out against that account. Any loans against that account can only be approved by me," Deanne explained.

She stood there in fear as she waited to see what Donald would do. Fortunately for her Donald was not an overtly violent man. He just shook his head, got his coat and walked out of the house.

Deanne closed her eyes in relief. She was very afraid that her husband would turn and hurt her. Still she waited up for him but she fell asleep on the couch. She woke up at 2:00AM to the sound of someone pounding on the front door. Robert was working the night shift so she hurried down the stairs to stave off the noise and keep Joanne and the girls from waking up. When she opened the she saw two police officers standing there.

"Mrs. Ragle?" one officer said.

"Yes officer. What can I do for you?" Deanne answered.

"Ma'am is Donald Ragle your husband?" one officer said.

"Yes why?" Deanne answered.

"Ma'am he's been arrested," the officer said.

"Arrested for what?" Deanne asked.

"On suspicion of arson ma'am, his restaurant was set on fire. The firefighters found him in the back. He smelled of gasoline and he was drunk," the officer explained.

Deanne closed her eyes and sighed. "Oh Donald what have you done?"

She woke Joanne and explained what was going on. Then she went to the police station and identified her husband.

When she arrived at the police station, a Detective Johnson interviewed her. Johnson said, "Donald's jacket sleeves were soaked with gasoline and he had a copy of the restaurant's insurance policy in his jacket. On top of that Donald practically confessed to setting the fire."

Deanne had her suspicions, but she still asked, "Did he say why?"

"Yes he said he needed the money and that you wouldn't lend him any." Johnson replied.

Deanne closed her eyes and sighed, "Oh Donald."

During the interview Donald was being processed for arrest. The officers led him out past Johnson's desk. Unfortunately Donald's hands were cuffed in front of him. Seeing Deanne talking to Johnson, Donald flew into a rage. He surprised the officer escorting him by stomping on his foot. When the officer recoiled in surprise, Donald grabbed his gun out the holster. He pointed it at Deanne shouting, "You bitch! This is all your fault!"

He was only able to fire two shots before the other police officers in the office area cut him down.

When the shooting stopped, there were two people bleeding on the floor. Donald was hit five times in his chest. One bullet passed through his heart, killing him instantly. Deanne was hit twice in her right lung. There was a froth of blood on her lips. As she lay dying she grabbed Johnson's jacket gasping, "My daughters… Call Robert Schonke… Policeman in the 101… Joanne's at home…" Then her eyes looked into infinity.

September 1978

To

December 1, 1996

After the funerals Donald's mother agreed to take Chris in. Then the Schonkes sold the two-family house and moved out to Gibson, Nassau County, one of the Long Island suburbs of New York City.

Deanne had never changed Sarah or Diane's last name from Mackenzie to Ragle. Deanne wanted the girls to know who their father was and that he died a hero. Besides, all of the girls' Social Security and school records were listed under Mackenzie. Robert thought that was fine and didn't bother to change Sarah or Diane's last names as well, even when he and Joanne formally adopted the two.

Sarah and Diane had a good life growing up on Long Island. The Schonkes were members of Sun Point Beach Club on the extreme western tip of Atlantic Beach. They were very friendly with other club members, Raymond and Mary Larkin. The Larkins also lived across the street from the Schonkes in Gibson. The Larkins had three sons and one daughter. The middle son George Thomas or as his parents called him, Tom, took a shine to Diane. (_Ray Larkin was a diehard Mets fan naming his second son after their 1967 rookie of the year)_ Tom was a month younger than Diane and Sarah born in September of 1968. They attended the same elementary and high schools together. If they weren't in the same class, they often gravitated toward each other during the breaks. It was inevitable that Tom asked Diane out to the senior prom, while Eddie Bell asked Sarah.

Before the Senior Prom, Diane was also Tom's tutor in Math. Tom excelled as a student, but the higher math concepts gave him no end of trouble. Diane was a whiz at math and was always there to help Tom along. He in turn helped Diane along with history and the sciences.

That was a very good thing because Tom had a desire to go to the Naval Academy. Tom had all the right qualities as he was a excellent student, he participated in good extracurricular activities such as the Civil Air Patrol ~ achieving the rank of Cadet Colonel ~ was a star football player at wide receiver ~ acted in two of the school's drama club productions, playing Henry Higgins in "My Fair Lady" and Tony in "West Side Story ~ and was a volunteer at the nursing home where his mom was the Director of Nursing.

When Tom finally received the Naval Academy's acceptance letter, the first person he wanted to tell was Diane. Diane had been overjoyed to hear it.

Diane decided she wanted to be a police officer like her adopted father. So taking advantage that the tuition was free as Robert was working there as the Director of Security, she enrolled at *CUNY's John Jay College.

_(*CUNY = City University of New York)_

While in the NYPD, Robert worked his way up to lieutenant. Unfortunately he was injured in the line of duty. A drunk driver crashed his car broadside into the passenger side of a patrol car in which Robert was riding. He sustained a major shoulder injury as well as a broken hip. So while he was recovering he put in for terminal leave and after 20 years on the job he retired on full disability and accepted the position of Security Director when his predecessor retired.

In May 1990 Diane graduated John Jay with a Bachelor's degree in Forensic Psychology and Criminal Justice and went into the NYPD Police Academy.

Sarah also went to CUNY on Robert's tuition benefit. She attended Queens College. She also joined the school's Marine ROTC program. Also in May of 1990 she graduated Queens College with a Bachelor's degree in History and Political Science.

Sarah was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant in the Marines and sent on her first billet to Okinawa. Avoiding all romantic entanglements, she does well and was recommended to become a lawyer based on the fact as the base Public Affairs Officer she mediated many disputes between the marines and the local Japanese population. Sarah chose to attend Duke University Law. After Sarah graduated 4th in her law class, her first billet in JAG was in Naples Italy.

Tom graduated the naval academy in May of 1990 along with his classmates Harmon Rabb, Sturgis Turner, Luke Pendry and Jack Keeter.

It was very convenient for the Larkin and Schonke families that Queens College and John Jay College had their graduation ceremonies on consecutive days in the middle of May while the Naval Academy Graduation was the Friday during the Memorial Day weekend.

Tom and Diane got married in October 1990, the autumn after their college/academy graduations. They had a baby girl, Kathryn ~Katie or Kate~ Marie in March, 1992.

After serving his first billet on a destroyer, Tom became a SEAL just after Katie was born. In May 1993 he was a full Lieutenant and commanding his squad in SEAL Team 4, when on a training mission, his helo crashed in the California desert after developing engine trouble. In the crash he ruptured two discs in his back and tore two ligaments in his left knee. It took a few surgeries and four months for him to recover. It's during his recovery the Navy doctors tell him that the injuries to his back and knee prohibit him from continuing his career as a SEAL. So, after going over the options that his career counselor recommended for him and speaking about it with Diane, he decided to become an attorney. After he recovered and passed the Navy's Physical Readiness Tests in September 1993, Tom enrolled in Fordham University's Law School. He graduated 10th in his class in May of 1996. After completing the Navy Justice School's 10 week Basic Lawyer Course at Newport, RI in August 1996, Tom was assigned his first billet as an attorney at JAG HQ in the Washington, DC Navy Yard. By then Tom was a Lt. Commander

After graduating from the Police Academy, Diane served with distinction and worked her way up to Detective 1st Grade after 5 years. In July 1996 she worked a murder case where a Female Navy Lieutenant was raped and killed while walking in Manhattan's Central Park. NCIS became involved. She and the Team leader, one Leroy Jethro Gibbs, worked together and solved the case. After the case was over, Gibbs offered her a position at NCIS as a Major Crimes Investigating Team Leader based on the fact that she was a Team Leader in her 14th Precinct Detective Squad.

Diane accepted because it would allow her to base her work office in the same city as Tom and his assignment to JAG HQ.

In September 1996 after she completed her one week training course on the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and other matters relating to her legal responsibilities as an NCIS Agent, she was assigned her team and her first case. Because of her and Tom's hectic schedule working their different cases, she and their daughter Katie don't complete their move into Tom's two bedroom apartment in Georgetown until the weekend before that year's Thanksgiving and spend that and their Christmas holidays in DC together.

Saturday, October 12, 1996

0925 Hours

Pier Seven, Norfolk Naval Base

Norfolk, VA

Diane Larkin was driving and she was thoroughly pissed off. Some homicidal maniac had spoiled her Columbus Day holiday three day weekend plans to spend it with her husband and daughter. She received the notification on her cellphone at 0400 that morning. She hadn't much sleep as they had only completed a very satisfying session of love making and fell asleep in their post coital exhaustion at 0300.

When her phone went off, Tom said from his half sleep, "That's yours hon."

"Yeah I know." Diane sighed becoming more awake. To answer it she had to wiggle out of her husband's arms where he was holding her while they slept.

"Hello, Larkin," she grumbled.

"Hello Diane, it's Mike Quinn," said Michaela Quinn to her team leader.

"Yeah Mike, what's up?" Diane said getting more awake.

"We have a report of a homicide at Norfolk Navy Base. There is a dead female lieutenant. Her corpse was left in a car that was parked near where the carrier USS Seahawk is berthed. Oh yeah the lieutenant has a bullet hole in her chest."

"Okay call Turk. You and he take the truck there with Dr. Mallard and Gerald. I'll drive directly there from home. If you get there before me, start to photo, sketch and tag," Diane instructed.

"Got you boss," Mike said.

Now fully awake Diane threw the bed covers off her and strutted naked into their en-suite bathroom. Tom propped himself up on his elbows to watch her.

"Hmm, hmm pretty woman, walkin' cross the room. I might just take you back to bed," he said admiringly.

"Easy does it George. You know how this works. You saw it those three years in law school when you were home all the time and I had to run out on every new case. Make yourself useful and put the coffee on." She had another thought, "How come your phone isn't ringing. I'd have thought that you would be assigned to this case."

"Rabb and Austin have the duty this weekend. Remember we were going to pick up Katie from the shuttle this morning after your folks put her on the plane."

"Yeah you're right. I can't wait till we're all finally moved in. This long distance parenting is wearing me out," Diane grumped from under the shower.

"You're not kidding. Remember the goal is the weekend before Thanksgiving. That's when I'll have leave and we can make the round trip to move her bedroom down."

"You're right I just miss not seeing her every time I come home," Diane said.

She came out of the shower and combed her short dark hair straight back to squeeze out some water. Then she toweled it until it was half dry. She liked to keep her hair short because it was easier to fix in moments like this. She combed it into the do that it would settle into when it became fully dry. Then she dressed into a comfortable black pants suit. She had a white fashionable tee-shirt and took her holstered Sig-Sauer-9mm from the gun safe and clipped it at her usual place on her belt. Then she put her badge wallet in the inner breast pocket of her suit coat.

Tom had her coffee in a travel mug, made just the way she liked it, ½ spoon of sugar with a drop of milk waiting on the kitchen table. He was waiting at the door with her go bag. She put her jacket on and her overcoat over her arm. She kissed her husband, grabbed her go bag and was out the door.

Diane arrived at the pier three and a half hours later, thanking her lucky stars that it was Saturday morning and the traffic on the highways around DC and Richmond was almost non-existent. She pulled her Crown Vic up and parked behind the NCIS Truck. She got out and showing her ID to the MP on duty securing the scene, walked under the crime scene tape.

From the opposite side of the truck she overheard Turk say, "Well looky, looky here comes, JAG.

When she got around to the other side Diane saw a very tall dark haired man and a tall blonde woman speaking with a balding middle aged man that was slightly overweight and wearing an NCIS Wind breaker and ball cap. The tall man was a lt. commander and the woman was a lieutenant. They were dressed in the peanut-butter issues of Navy uniform. They were looking her way and at the agent that was speaking. Turk was Agent Brian Turque. He preferred that you pronounced his last name "Tur-kay, but just about everyone pronounced it like the bird, Turkey. Turk's irascible nature hid a keen analytical mind. That's why Diane brought him with her to NCIS from the NYPD.

Right now he was arguing with the Navy officers about the evidence sharing rules. Diane walked up behind her agent and smacked the back of his head saying, "Play nice Turk."

Turning to them and flipping her ID for them to see, she introduced herself to the JAG officers. She saw the looks of amusement that were plastered on their faces.

"Hello Lt. Commander Rabb and you must be Lt. Austen, I'm Special Agent Diane Larkin, NCIS," Diane said shaking their hands.

"Harm please and this is Meg," Harm replied offering his half of the introductions.

Harm was at a loss to remember where he met Diane. Diane saw that and said, "You graduated the Academy with my husband Tom Larkin. I was at the graduation with my twin sister Sarah. You two also work in the same office at JAG HQ."

"Oh yeah I remember you still have the short hair while your sister's was longer, at the time," Harm said.

"That's right. Getting back to this case, did either of you know the victim?" Diane asked.

"No we got the call probably just about when you did," Harm explained.

"How about you lieutenant, did you know the victim?" Diane asked Meg. She didn't like anyone using their rank to stifle a junior officer.

"No ma'am, I don't even know her name yet. Your agent was more interested in marking his territory than furnishing it to us," Meg answered regaining the upper hand for JAG.

Diane just turned and said in a reprimanding tone, "Turk?"

"Lt. Sarah Williams age 28, she was one of the Seahawk's cryptologists. After Mike gets done with the bagging and tagging, we're going to start interviewing the crew. Though it'll be the skeleton crew as most of the others jumped ship as soon as it docked a day and a half ago," Turk explained.

"What was the time of death?" Diane asked.

In response she heard a man with a Scottish accent speak up from behind her. "According to her liver temperature the poor girl was killed about 2200 last night." Dr. Donald ~Ducky~ Mallard explained. He continued, "Also the lividity is rather strange."

"Why's that doctor," Harm asked.

"Well it's on the right side of her body. You can see it on her arms and face. Come I'll show you," Ducky said moving over to a black body bag on a stretcher.

When he opened the zipper, everyone saw a light skinned African American woman. She was dressed in Navy Whites, the front of which was blood stained around a bullet hole right over the heart.

Ducky pointed to the face and arm saying, "See the purple bruises. When the heart stops beating, the blood begins to flow or pool to the lowest point of the body. If she were shot while sitting up, all her blood would be in the bottom of her torso and legs."

"So that tells us that she was killed elsewhere and then propped up here," Diane said.

"It seems so. Also there were no bullet holes anywhere on the car," Ducky said.

Okay where's Mike," Diane asked.

"Right here boss," said a young woman from behind her.

Diane and the other turned to greet a petite Caucasian female of 27 years. She had red medium length straight hair that was gathered in a pony tail. She was wearing an NCIS ball cap backwards. Mike was holding a digital camera in her hands with the strap looped around her neck.

"I finished photographing the lieutenant before they took her out of the car. I just called our flatbed to come and take it back to DC for processing," Mike explained.

"Good work Mike," Diane said.

Just as Diane finished her compliment, another black Crown Victoria pulled up.

"Uh oh here comes trouble," Harm muttered to Meg.

Meg turned and saw that another female officer in peanut butters was getting out of the car. "What the hell is Krennick doing here?" She asked Harm.

Krennick was Commander Alison Krennick. She was Caucasian about 5'-6" with short blond hair and a very shapely figure. She had a very haughty air about her.

Ignoring Diane, Krennick approached Harm and Meg, who had snapped to attention, and ordered, "Tell me what's going on here."

Diane stepped and showing her ID asked, "Excuse me commander you are?"

Krennick turned around and sneered at Diane saying, "I'm Commander Krennick JAG Corps (She bent to read Diane's ID) Agent Larkin. I'm here to take charge of this investigation."

That brought Diane up as she very firmly stated, "No commander you're not. NCIS is in charge of this investigation. What do you know of Lt. Williams' murder?"

"Only what I was told by Admiral Chegwidden, the Navy's JAG," Krennick stated still attempting to piss on her territory.

"What does Admiral Chegwidden know?" Diane pressed on.

"After Lt. Commander Rabb and Lt. Austen left JAG Headquarters he received a call from the Navy's Sexual Harassment Hotline about allegations Lt. Williams was making against an unspecified member of the Seahawk's officer compliment. I was sent here to take charge of the investigation based on that."

"Well you've just lent motive to the homicide of the lieutenant. That will give me another line of questioning to use when I interview the crew still left aboard."

"I told you agent that I was in charge of this investigation. I will be interviewing the crew," Krennick said menacingly. She added for good measure, "And you will address me as commander or ma'am."

She had no idea that that weapon was not loaded as Diane said, "Well let tell you something lady, I don't have to ma'am you or respect any rank you hold. Check your regulations. They will show that NCIS has all authority to investigate all criminal cases. My boss does not answer to your admiral. He answers to the SECNAV, your boss's boss. So I suggest you call your admiral and inform him that you will be on the sidelines and I will be doing the interviews of the crew. So if you do anything to hinder my investigation, I will lock you up and charge you with obstruction."

Krennick stood toe to toe with Diane trying to stare her down. Diane stared back, confidently defiant as she was the taller of the two.

The staring contest ended when Harm intervened saying, "Ladies if I may make a suggestion."

The two women turned as one to look at him with Diane saying, "Yes commander?"

"Why don't we have a joint investigation and team up agent-to-officer? "

"Sounds good we can get more done that way. Then we can prepare notes later. Mr. Rabb you're with me, Mike you take Lt. Austen and Turk you can take Commander Krennick," Diane instructed. She immediately started walking away.

Harm hesitated a moment before Krennick almost shouted, "You heard the agent Rabb, get going."

Harm turned and had no trouble catching up with Diane with a few long strides. Breaking the verbal ice Harm asked, "Who do we speak with first?"

"We start with the highest ranking officer still on board." Diane answered.

They both looked at each other and silently agreed that saying anything about Krennick's insulting breach of protocol was non-productive.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Twisted Timing**_

_**Chapter 2**_

Saturday, October 12, 1996

1030 Hours

USS Seahawk

Pier Seven, Norfolk Naval Base

Norfolk, VA

When Diane and Harm reached the Seahawk's bridge they saw a commander sitting in the Captain's Chair. While Harm stopped at the entrance, snapped to attention and asked, "Permission to enter the bridge sir," Diane strode confidently onto the bridge. She already had her ID Wallet out and presented it to with the Badge/ID Card flip saying, "Diane Larkin, NCIS commander?"

"Commander Richard Holbarth, I'm the ship's XO," he said getting up from the chair. He added for Harm's benefit, "Permission granted lt. commander?"

"Harmon Rabb sir, JAG Corps," Harm replied as he stepped onto the bridge proper.

"Is this related to the activity on the dock?" Holbarth asked.

"Yes it is commander. We have a murdered lieutenant, one Sarah Williams. Our check of her showed that she was one of the Seahawk's cryptology officers," Diane began before she was interrupted by Holbarth.

"She and I served part of the mid watch on the bridge together last night. She was relieved at about 1930 hours," Holbarth explained.

Diane noticed that Holbarth didn't show any signs of surprise when she announced Williams' name also he reacted very fast establishing that they were serving together. She added, "According to our medical examiner she was killed about 2200, give or take, last night. Commander, can you account for your whereabouts last night at that time?"

"I was relieved about 45 minutes after Lt. Williams was. I went directly to my quarters. I have to stay on the ship as the skipper is in Washington," Holbarth explained.

"Can anyone verify that you went to your quarters?" Diane asked.

"Lt. Lamm can. I met him on my way just outside my quarters about 2030," Holbarth said.

"But can he verify you stayed in your quarters," Harm asked.

Diane nodded in agreement at the question.

"No he can't. But all personnel have to leave through the one gangplank. The officer on the deck has to log all personnel off the ship," Holbarth said.

"Who was the officer on duty at the gangplank?" Diane asked.

"An Ensign Roberts and Chief Bannon were on duty there last night," Holbarth said to them.

"Thank you commander," Diane said just before she walked off the bridge. Harm was following close behind her.

As they walked down the passageway, Harm said, "We need to find Lamm, Bannon and Roberts."

"Yes we do. I need to know one thing first though," Diane asked.

"What?"

"Is there another way off the ship besides the gangplank?" Diane asked.

The light went on for Harm as he answered, "Yes there is, the cargo hatch. One could sneak down the cargo gangplank."

"Good answer," Diane said. She reached for her cellphone and speed dialed, "Mike, who found Williams' body."

"A Chief Bannon and Ensign Roberts found her. They were on their way to the diner outside the gate for breakfast when they noticed her in the car," Mike explained.

"Did you get their statements?"

"Yes I did. They said that they logged Williams out or rather Bannon logged her off the ship at 2030 while Roberts went to the head. Roberts said that a Lt. Lamm was logged off immediately after her at 2035. I have the log sheet with me," Quinn explained.

"Okay Rabb and I are going to check something. I'll talk with you later," Diane said.

"There is one thing I need to tell you boss," Quinn said hastily.

"What's that?"

"Bannon and Roberts said that Lamm seemed be in a real hurry to catch up to Williams when he left the ship," Quinn explained.

"Really, thanks Mike," Diane said as she ended the call.

"Holbarth told the truth. Lamm could have seen him at 2030, just before Lamm left the ship," Diane exclaimed.

"So we have to find Lamm and find out why he ran after Williams," Harm said.

"No we have to see the cargo hatch to see if it was guarded. Then we have to find Lt. Lamm. He was running after Williams when she left the ship last night," Diane explained.

"Uh huh, okay follow me. I know the way to the cargo hatch. It's on the hanger deck," Harm said.

"How do you know the way around the ship," Diane asked.

"I served on her when I was first deployed as a pilot," Harm explained.

He didn't mention, but thought to himself, 'I also crashed a Tomcat into the fantail.'

Soon they arrived at the cargo hatch. It was aft of the hanger elevator. There were sailors working there, driving forklifts and receiving cargo that was delivered up a zip line through the huge open hatch. There were also different types of hoses coming in through the same hatch delivering potable water and the different types of petroleum products that the ship needed. Next to the open cargo hatch, there was a water tight hatch that was now open. Outside the water tight hatch was a gangplank.

Diane and Harm stepped up to the open cargo hatch and look toward the forward part of the ship to see on the opposite side of the hanger elevator, the crew gangplank, with the banner, USS Seahawk, attached to the hand railing. While there were personnel coming and going on the crew gangplank, the cargo gangplank was devoid of activity.

Harm and Diane found the Chief of the Boat (COB), named Pete Demarest who in charge of the cargo operations. They pulled him aside to speak with him and Diane. Demarest was a veteran sailor with gray hair that reminded one of Ward Bond's character in the movie "Mr. Roberts".

"Chief I'm Commander Rabb, JAG Corps and this is Special Agent Diane Larkin, NCIS. We're investigating the murder of Lt. Williams."

"Oh nuts, she was a good kid. What can I do to help?" Demarest asked.

Diane asked, "I see you have a gangplank at the hatch here. Why don't you use the crew's gangplank at the front of the elevator?"

"Well the cargo gangplank is used for loading purposes only. It saves us the time of moving forward if we have to swarm crew between the dock and the ship," Demarest explained.

"That makes sense. Do you run loading operations at night?" Diane asked.

"No ma'am not at this time. Being that there is only a skeleton crew on board, we shut down at night. We'll only ramp up to 24-7 loading duty a week before we're scheduled to get underway. Then you'd see a lot of exterior lights rigged up outside," Demarest explained.

"So being that the hatch is closed and locked at night, it's left unguarded?" Harm asked.

"Yes sir it is," Demarest replied.

"Can anyone open the watertight hatch and sneak out when no one is working here?" Diane asked.

"It's possible, though because it's an exterior hatch, it's flush with the hull of the ship. There's no spindle to baton it down or in other words, you can't lock it from the other side. Anyone who came down here would have noticed that it was open. Though being that it would be dark on the dock, if one just pushed it closed, you wouldn't be able to tell from the dock if it was locked or not," Demarest explained.

"What time do you start and finish loading operations for the day chief?" Diane asked.

"At 0700 hours ma'am, that's when it becomes light enough to work. We end about 1800 when it starts getting dark."

"Thank you chief, you've told me everything we need to know," Diane explained.

As she and Harm walked away, Diane said, "Now we find Lamm."

It didn't take long until they did. Checking at the gangplank, they found that he was signed out of the ship. Harm and Diane found him in the diner at a counter seat having a late breakfast.

After identifying themselves, they sat down on either side of him. Diane asked, "Lieutenant, can you please tell me what was so urgent that you were running after Lt. Williams?"

"Commander Holbarth said he needed to see her before she went on leave. He didn't tell me why though," Lamm replied.

"Were you able to catch her?" Diane asked.

"No ma'am, I just missed her. The guys who run the cab stand outside the dock gate told me that she caught one and was already gone," Lamm explained.

"Were you able to tell Holbarth that you weren't able to catch her?" Diane asked.

"No when I went to find him in his quarters, he wasn't there," Lamm explained.

"Thank you lieutenant that will be all," Harm said as he and Diane got up to leave.

When he and Diane walked out of the diner, Diane said, "No we go back to Holbarth."

Before Harm could reply, Diane's phone rang, "Larkin?"

"Diane, it's Gibbs, I have a Mr. & Mrs. Williams here. They're Lt Williams' parents. The SECNAV's office notified them of their daughter's death. They just showed me a letter from the lieutenant that I know you're going to need to see. Can you get to a fax machine?"

Diane turned to the Harm and asked, "The nearest fax machine?"

Harm smiled as he was looking back at the diner. He pointed back over Diane's shoulder to a sign in the diner's window that said, **FAX available – incoming & outgoing - 25 cents a FAX.**

"Give me two minutes, I'll call you back then," Diane said excitedly.

They went back into the diner and had the waitress show them to the machine. Diane called Gibbs back and gave him the fax number. When it came through, it wasn't the best quality, but the document was very readable as they both read it.

Before they could say anything else Diane's phone rang again. She recognized the number in the caller ID and answered with, "Turk, what have you got?"

"The Crown Vic that Williams was found in was logged out at 2110."

"By who?"

When Turk told her Diane he also added, "And there is one more thing."

"What's that?" Diane asked.

After Turk told Diane the additional information she said, "We have to speak with Holbarth again." Just as they got up the gangplank, harm's phone rang.

He saw from the caller ID that Meg was calling.

"Yes lieutenant?" Harm asked pleasantly.

Diane watched as he listened to Meg then he said, "Okay Larkin and I are on it."

"What's she say?" Diane asked.

When Harm finished she said, "That's one more thing to ask Holbarth."

They found their quarry in the officers' ward room eating breakfast. He was the only officer there.

Diane and Harm went and sat at the table, Diane across from him and Harm adjacent.

Holbarth was irritated as it showed in his question, "Now what? I answered all of you questions."

Diane replied, "Well we have some more to ask."

"What's that?"

"Commander, why did you lie to or keep relevant information from us?"

"About what?"

"About your urgent need to speak with Lt. Williams after she left? You said she was with you on the bridge. Why didn't you speak there?"

"I don't speak about personal things while on duty on the bridge," Holbarth replied.

"Well maybe you can explain this," Diane said producing the fax and giving it to him to read.

Holbarth took the fax and started to read it. He blanched when he got to a certain section.

"I see you got to the part where Lt. Williams is accusing you of sexual harassment and the part of you giving all female officers below average rating on their FITREPS," Harm said.

"I don't know what she's talking about. I don't know who shot her," Holbarth said in his defense.

"We never told you she was shot. We only told you she was killed," Diane said.

Harm and Diane could see Holbarth really begin to sweat. He stammered, "I, I had nothing to do with her murder. It was Lamm, he logged the car out."

"We know that already. Tell me did he call you when he couldn't catch up with Williams? Our investigators fanned out from the base. One of them went to the Norfolk Bus Depot. There she found that there were witnesses to seeing Lt. Williams being accosted by two men as she waited at the depot for the commuter bus back to DC. Those two men practically carried her by her elbows to a dark colored Crown Victoria, just like the car she was found in," Diane said.

Harm continued, "You snuck off the ship from the cargo hatch and then you and Lamm drove to the bus depot to get Williams. After you killed her, you and Lamm laid her body on her right side in the car, maybe in the trunk. That would account for the lividity. When you got to the parking area outside the closed diner, where it was poorly lit, you took her body out of the trunk or backseat and positioned her in the car the way we found it. Then you snuck back up the cargo gangplank while Lamm re-entered the ship through the crew's gangplank."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Holbarth said defiantly.

"Oh I think you do. I wonder whose fingerprints we're going to find on the steering wheel, yours or Lamm's," Diane said.

Holbarth had nothing to say. Diane got up and taking her handcuffs off her belt said, "Commander stand up and place your hands behind your back. You're under arrest on suspicion of sexual harassment." She read him his rights as she handcuffed him.

She and Harm led him through the ship and down the gangplank to her car. After she placed him in the backseat Harm turned to her and said, "You know sexual harassment is a pretty thin charge."

"Don't I know it, but it does lend motive to murder. All we need to prove is the opportunity. All the times that denote movement of those two on the ship and off will help us establish that. Also when we start processing the car, we'll find more evidence," Diane said confidently.

"What about Lamm?" Harm asked.

"Based on what Holbarth told us, I'll have Turk bring him in for questioning," Diane replied.

And that is what happened. Lamm was brought in to the NCIS Office in the Norfolk Yard. Under interrogation he gave it up. He declared that he signed the car out, picked up Holbarth outside the base after Holbarth did indeed sneak off the carrier through the cargo section. They accosted Williams as she waited in the Norfolk bus terminal. Holbarth bullied her outside with the threat of court martial. There Williams had resisted getting into the car. Holbarth produced a .38 and threatened her. Williams tried to grab the gun as Holbarth fired. After Williams fell dead from the bullet through her heart, Lamm and Holbarth put her in the trunk of the car and drove to the diner parking lot and staged her in the front seat. The processing of the car by NCIS lab techs found blood stains in the trunk that was to Williams' DNA. Also Lamm wasn't as thorough as he thought he was. He wiped the steering wheel and the outside door handles of fingerprints. But he forgot two places. The NCIS fingerprint techs found sets that matched Holbarth's and Lamm's on the inside of the door handles. All of that was enough to close the case and bring homicide charges against the two.

Diane went home late that night to salvage her holiday weekend with her husband and daughter.

Tuesday, October 15, 1996

1015 Hours Local Time

Marine Barracks

8th & I Streets, Washington DC, SE

Marine Major Sarah Mackenzie was prosecuting a double murder case. She was working on her opening presentation for the trial which would begin the next day.

"I got this guy dead to rights," Sarah murmured to herself when her desk phone rang.

"Major Mackenzie?" she answered.

"Sarah, put on the nearest TV!" she heard her sister exclaim.

Sarah left her office and walked down the hall to the break room. She saw a cluster of other marines watching in rapt attention the person on the TV.

Only her marine training helped her keep her composure. There was a man spouting some nonsense of Americans needing to take back their country. He was standing in front of some sort of parchment propped up on an easel. After he finished his screed, he moved away to show the Declaration of Independence.

The man on the TV was her and Diane's Uncle Matthew O'Hara, their mother's brother.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Twisted Timing**_

_**Chapter 3**_

Tuesday, October 15, 1996

1015 Hours Local Time

JAG Headquarters,

1322 Paterson Avenue,

Washington Navy Yard, SE,

Washington, DC

Lt. Commanders Tom Larkin and Harmon Rabb had just returned to headquarters from the White House. Harm was there to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross from President Clinton. The award was for when, despite his night blindness, Harm managed to pilot a Tomcat from the RIO's seat and trap onto the Seahawk. The pilot, Captain Tom Boone had been injured by enemy fire while flying a mission over Bosnia.

As they walked through the bullpen of the attorneys' offices on the 3rd floor, they saw former USMC Colonel O'Hara's screed on why he stole the Declaration of Independence. Their attention to the TV was broken by a nattily dressed medium height man.

"Damn it! That son of a bitch totally blew my lost nuke-cover story," presumed Under Secretary of State Clayton Webb exclaimed.

"Oh like what would have reassured America more, the fact that a parchment was stolen or that an exploded nuke was going to kill thousands," the Navy's JAG, Rear Admiral Upper Half Albert Jethro (AJ) Chegwidden said derisively.

Seeing Rabb and Larkin he caught their eye and said, "You two in my office." He turned and strode into said office with Webb right behind.

The two officers dutifully followed their CO into his sanctum. Before they could snap to attention AJ said, "Have a seat." He in turn sat behind his desk and informed them, "Before this TV broadcast was made the SECNAV informed me about the theft of the declaration. It was stolen outside the YUMA Marine Air Station as it was being carried in a US Postal Service truck driven by FBI Agents. The perpetrators were outfitted and performed like a squad of recon Marines. They're calling themselves the Defenders. They swooped in on a chopper, forced the truck off the road and snatched the declaration without firing a shot.

"How did they know the document was in the truck sir?" Harm asked.

"We don't know. That's what you and Larkin are going to find out," AJ announced.

AJ turned to Tom and said, "Mr. Larkin I understand that your wife is related to the colonel."

"Uh yes sir, but they are a bit estranged at the moment. Sir that is not public knowledge, how did you come about that information?" Tom asked warily.

"I gave it to him. We need you and her to go and convince the colonel the error of his ways. And retrieve the Declaration," Webb explained.

"You'll start by going up to New York where I believe she is a detective," AJ said to Tom.

"Ah no sir she is working here in DC for NCIS now. I haven't had a chance to change my "Page 2" information yet. In fact Harm met her on the Williams case in Norfolk this past weekend sir," Tom explained.

"Even better, rendezvous with her and find out where O'Hara is and get the Declaration back. It was stolen by Marines and the Navy is going to get it back. Do whatever you need to do and appropriate whatever personnel you need to."

"Aye sir," Tom and Harm replied as they stood up and braced to attention.

"I'm going with you," Webb announced as they walked out of the office.

As he and Harm left the office Tom glanced at him and said, "Try to keep up then Mr. Webb."

Harm and Tom split up to go to their own offices to retrieve their covers. On his way with Harm to the elevator Tom speed dialed Diane's cellphone and when she answered asked her, "Hey honey did you happen to watch the news lately?"

"Yeah I did. What the hell was Uncle Matt thinking?" Diane replied.

"Well I don't know and Chegwidden just ordered Rabb, you and I to go find him to ask and get the Declaration back. We're on our way down to Sicard St. with Under Secretary of State Clayton Webb now."

"Oh so the CIA is involved with this clusterfuck," Diane said.

"Yeah it seems so, just how they are involved we'll find out when we talk," Tom said.

"Great sweetie, but don't come to the headquarters at Sicard Street. Meet me at the Marine Barracks at 8th & I, we're taking Sarah with us. I'm on my way there now," Diane instructed.

"Gotcha honey," Tom said.

He turned to Harm and said, "Change of plans, we're also picking up my sister-in-law Sarah at 8th & I."

"What does she do there?" Webb asked.

"She's a lawyer for the Marines," Tom replied.

Webb looked curiously at that wondering why he didn't know that.

They took Tom's Jeep Cherokee. Webb wasn't happy sitting in the back with the child booster seat and other juvenile detritus that usually accumulated in a family car.

"Just put the toys in the net bag Webb. We won't be in the car long," Tom said.

Even Harm sat on something in the front seat. He held up a Little Mermaid doll for Tom to see.

"Don't look at me like that Harm. Just wait until you meet someone, get married and have kids," Tom said.

"Well that's unlikely to happen soon," Harm replied sardonically. He had no idea that fate had other wishes for him.

When the men got to 8th & I they were ushered up to Sarah's CO's office. Upon reaching the door they overheard a female voice beseeching the colonel, "But sir I know we can convince him to give up and return the Declaration."

"You're not going major and that is final," Colonel Jack Watson thundered.

It was at that instant the men from JAG came in. Tom said, "Uh begging the colonel's pardon for barging in sir, but the major is going."

"Just who the fuck are you Lt Commander and by what right do you have to countermand my command?" Watson yelled.

Just for the courtesy Tom and Harm braced to attention as Tom announced, "Lt Commanders Larkin and Rabb sir. Sir my orders are from Admiral Chegwidden. He assigned Mr. Rabb and I to go and retrieve the Declaration. He also said appropriate whatever personnel and material we deem necessary to accomplish that, sir."

"Well I'm calling Chegwidden now," Watson said picking up the phone and turning his back to the group.

"Fine sir in the meantime we are on a strict deadline, so by your leave sir? Let's go major, agent," Tom said ushering the ladies out the door hastily and not waiting for Watson's permission to leave.

In the hallway Tom said, "Good to see you Sarah. It's only been since this morning," Tom said.

"Yeah it's a good thing we live in the same building and I carpooled this morning with Diane. I can't wait till my 'Vette is fixed," Sarah said.

All during this Harm was captivated by Sarah. He couldn't stop staring first at her and then at Diane. He thought Diane was attractive, but he knew she was out of reach. Now as he was looking at Sarah, his attraction to HER came into play.

Webb was looking at Sarah as well, but a bit more lasciviously.

"You two are twins?" Harm asked as a way of breaking the ice.

"Fraternal not quite identical," Sarah answered.

"When I first met them, I had a hard time telling them apart. I had to make sure that I kissed the right one on the lips," Tom said.

"Oh Diane made sure you didn't make that mistake," Sarah said.

"She sure did, uh where's your go bag Sarah?" Tom asked.

"It's in my office right here," Sarah said as she turned into said office.

When they left Sarah's office Webb asked. "Where are we going to look for your uncle?"

"Arizona more specifically Red Rock Mesa," Sarah replied.

"How are we getting there?" Harm asked.

"We're taking the NCIS Gulfstream out of Andrews. After I told Director Morrow about Uncle Matt, he approved our using it," Diane replied.

"Good let me call the FBI and my State contacts for back up," Webb said reaching into his coat for his cellphone.

"You'll do no such thing!" Diane declared snatching the phone from his hand before he could dial anything.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? I have full authority for this mission," Webb said trying to get his phone back.

"I'll bet you did. Tell me Webb. Why was the DOI on the road? Why wasn't it in the Archives?" Diane asked.

"We were bringing it to a lab in California for restoration. I thought covertly transporting it was the way to go," Webb feebly explained.

Diane's experience interrogating suspects told her that Webb was lying. Still she asked, "Why the hell didn't you put the damn thing on a Federal Marshalls' transport jet and move it. They move prisoners around the country with the public none the wiser."

Webb became tight lipped at that only saying, "You don't have the need to know that."

"Yeah right," Diane grunted. Her New York attitude was beginning to show.

As they got into the cars, John and Harm found it highly amusing that Webb got back into the Cherokee while Diane and Sarah got into the Diane's NCIS Crown Vic.

They stopped at Harm's place for his seabag and then back to Georgetown and the Larkin's apartment for John and Diane's bags.

"Well change on the plane," Diane said.

Then they were off to Andrews.

3 hours later

Aboard the NCIS Gulfstream

As soon as they were wheels up and cruising at altitude the five put their heads together.

Diane started with "We'll rent an SUV, preferably a Humvee from a public car rental agency. Webb you buy whatever clothing you need for desert camping."

"When we get there what are we going to find?" Webb said.

"Hopefully someone who can be reasoned with," Harm replied.

At that Sarah, Harm and Tom took turns in the lavatory changing from their "Class A" uniforms into the travel utility uniforms appropriate for each service.

When Harm came out to let Tom go in and change he saw Sarah sitting alone. Webb was a cuple of rows back sulking. He approached Sarah and asked, "Want some company?"

Sarah looked up and smiled as she replied, "Sure park yourself."

As Harm sat down he saw Webb look up and grimace. Apparently he wanted to sit there and either Harm beat him to it, or Sarah asked him to sit elsewhere.

As Harm settled in he started with, "I figured I'd let the married couple sit alone together. What can you tell me about your uncle?"

"Well Uncle Matt was one of the few Medal of Honor recipients to get out of the war with the medal around his neck instead of his widows."

"Is he married?"

"He was. His wife Caroline was killed by a drunk driver that t-boned her car on the driver's side while Uncle Matt was serving his second tour in Nam. I never knew her. I was too young to know him very well. The only time Diane and I met him was at our mom's funeral in New York. Right now we're estranged because of what happened at the funeral."

"How did your mom die?"

Sarah's eyes clouded over as she answered very tightly, "The bastard of a second husband shot her because she wouldn't give him money to pay his gambling debts."

"Uh I'm sorry to hear that. What happened at the funeral?"

"Uncle Matt tried to take Diane and me away from our parents. You see our biological father was killed in Vietnam just before we were born. Mom and her cousin Joanne decided to raise us together. Joanne was married to one of my father's Marine buddies. They couldn't have children themselves. We lived in two family house in New York. When Mom was killed Uncle Matt thought being that he was her brother should have custody of us. Mom and Dad knew that all he wanted was the money mom left us. She was very good at selling insurance and she left a sizable fund for us from her commissions that she saved over the years. After that we never saw him again, until today on the TV."

"So how did your parents keep Matt from gaining custody?"

"Well dad was an NYPD lieutenant. He took him to Family Court. Seeing that Matt was single and still a Marine and still likely to be deployed, the court granted custody to mom and dad with Uncle Matt having visitation rights, though he never exercised them."

"So you became a Marine because of your dad?"

"Actually both my dads, you see Joseph Mackenzie was my biological father, who as I said before died in Vietnam. Robert Schonke was with him when he died. He made sure Dad's body wasn't left behind. He and my mom are buried in Arlington. Diane wanted to be a police officer because she wanted to follow in Robert's footsteps."

"So do you think you and Diane can convince O'Hara to give the Declaration back?"

"We can only try. Our problem may not be in dealing with him, but with the Defenders. See the second bag Tom brought?"

"Yeah," Harm replied looking at the bag tucked beneath Tom's seat.

"That's his SEAL bag. It's got the weapons that he needs to use for his yearly qualifications. I hope he doesn't have to use anything from there."

"Uh huh," was all Harm said. Switching topics he asked, "So you drive a Corvette, what color? And what year"

"1995 and Crimson, dad helped me buy it as a present for graduating law school. He kept it in New York while I was deployed to Bosnia during my first tour after law school."

"That where you got the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart?" Harm said pointing to the fruit salad on her blouse.

"Yeah my company was evacuating a school that was going to be overrun by the Serbs. Just as we got everybody out of the school and the buses were pulling away, a rocket hit the school very close to where I was standing and I was thrown about 30 feet. I was lucky to only come away with a concussion and a broken left wrist. I broke the wrist trying to break my fall. I did such a good job of breaking it that the surgeon had to install a plate to to mesh all of the little broken bones back together and put me in a cast for six weeks. I set off metal detectors every time I go through an airport." She showed Harm the surgical scar on the underside of her wrist.

"The doctor did a nice job. Good flat scar," Harm said respectfully rubbing his fingertips over it.

"Yeah, he did. I'm still doing physical therapy to get it back to full strength. I'm just about there," Sarah said.

"So that's why you got assigned to 8th&I?"

"Yes, that is until there's an opening at JAG HQ in the Navy Yard."

"Well you're probably better off staying at 8th&I. Not that I would mind you being there. Hell you'd probably add some color to the place. All we have is Navy Blue."

"So you'd like me being there?" Sarah asked coyly.

"Uh sure I would. I've never gone up against a Marine in court before. It might be interesting," Harm said politely and little shyly.

"Well I've never been against anyone but Marines myself. It should be easy beating a squid," Sarah said teasingly.

"You're mighty confident there jarhead," Harm reposted.

"Hey I'm a Marine, we're always confident," Sarah replied primly.

"Riight, so tell me do you drive a stick?"

"Oh yeah you get a better feel for the road driving that way," Sarah said going with the safe change of subject.

"I have a 'Vette to. It's a 1969 Mako Shark also crimson and with a stick shift. It was my dad's."

"That's a classic and your dad let you have it," Sarah exclaimed incredulously.

"Uhm my dad was shot down and killed in Vietnam too, on Christmas Eve when I was five years old. He flew Phantoms off the Ticonderoga. The search and rescue units found his body in the wreckage and brought it back. He's buried in Arlington too. Hey we can go visit their graves when we get back. They're probably near each other."

"That sounds nice. Maybe we can do dinner after that," Sarah asked hopefully.

"You mean like a date?" Harm asked wide eyed.

"Uh yeah that is if you don't mind being seen with a jarhead," Sarah asked hopefully as well as mischievously.

"Only if you don't mind being seen with a squid," Harm said with his full watt flyboy smile.

"Good. Let's get this clusterfuck of my uncle's making out of the way and when we get back to DC we'll discuss plans," Sarah said offering her hand.

"Sounds good to me," Harm said taking and shaking her hand in agreement.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Twisted Timing**_

_**Chapter 4**_

_AN: I rewrote one sentence in Chapter 3 mentioning the Purple Heart Sarah was eligible to receive for her injury._

From where he was sitting in the small cabin Webb heard all of Harm and Sarah's conversation.

'Reject me huh. Tell me to sit elsewhere. She acts so superior.' Webb thought to himself.

The reason that Sarah didn't want Webb to sit with her was because Diane told her all about Webb in the car ride to Andrews.

Sarah remembered what Diane told her. "In the short time I've been in DC I've heard the scuttlebutt that he's an accident waiting to happen. He's a lone wolf who plans things behind his superiors' backs. He is totally amoral. He's all about achieving the objective by any means, bordering on and crossing over into the illegal. He pushes all the ethical and legal boundaries. I wouldn't be surprised if we found out that he purposely put the DOI out there for someone like Uncle Matt to steal it. That way Webb swoops in to the rescue."

It wasn't too much longer that the Gulfstream landed at Yuma MAS. A corporal met them to drive them out to the site of the crime in a Humvee.

"Corporal before you go to the crime scene, go to the armory," Tom ordered.

"Aye sir," Corporal Cummings answered as he did an expert U-Turn.

When they walked in they all showed their Identifications and Chegwidden's and the SECNAV's written orders allowing them to appropriate what they needed.

They filled out the appropriate forms detailing what they wanted to take. After getting the list Sergeant Grady, who was behind the counter, brought the weapons around.

Firstly on John's recommendation Harm was issued a Colt M-16A2 automatic rifle with night sights and suppressor. Harm already had his own Beretta 9mm auto with him.

"If you want to set up your specs sir, the range is through that door," Sergeant Grady asked.

"Thank you sergeant," Harm said as he went through to the range. Tom followed him to inspect his own weapon.

Sarah and Diane both had their own handguns. Sarah's was the military issued Berretta 9mm while Diane still had her NCIS issued Sig-Sauer 9mm and her S&W.380 automatic back-up. Sergeant Grady was amused that the ladies each picked an M1014 Combat Shotguns equipped with Low Light Level iron sights and a standard U.S. Military accessory mounting rail integral to the upper receiver, to permit use of other sight enhancement devices. They were capable of firing semiautomatic. Each lady chose two boxes of standard DOD 2.75-inch, 12-gauge No. 00 buckshot shells and one box each of slug ammunition shells.

Sarah loaded her shotgun with the buckshot, while Diane loaded hers with the slug ammunition shells.

The sergeant issued the appropriate web gear to each of the sisters. They stepped into the locker room that Sgt. Grady indicated to change out of their business type clothing into field dress. Sarah's was the regular Marine fatigues while Diane's was the NCIS version of police blue SWAT fatigues. When they came in from the range Harm and Tom changed into black long sleeve polo shirts, black cargo pants and black boots. While Diane had her own set, Tom, Sarah and Harm were also issued the appropriate body armor.

Through it all Clayton Webb looked on with impatience. When they left the armory they went and logged a Humvee out of the base motor pool and then went to the crime scene team on the highway just outside of the Yuma MAS.

Diane said, "There's not much to see here. It's all been snapped and sketched by the FBI. Still we need to know what they found. Clayton we need you to stay with the FBI and liaison with them and us."

"Why don't I go with you?" Webb asked, not liking at all at to be excluded.

"We don't know if he's going to be at Red Rock. It's only a hunch," Sarah replied.

Before Webb could say anything further Tom wet up to him and put his hand out, ostensibly to shake it in a gesture of good wishes. When they made contact Webb felt that there was something in Tom's palm.

"Webb, do what they say and don't ever fuck with us," Tom said as he let go.

Tom turned away from Webb to get into the Humvee to sit shotgun beside Diane who got behind the driver's wheel. Harm and Sarah were already in the backseat of the Humvee.

As Webb watched them drive away he looked at the object in his hand and said to himself, "Shit, now I won't know where they're going."

The object was a GPS tracker or homing device. When they got into the car at the motor pool, Tom Larkin saw Webb try to surreptitiously drop it into the map pocket behind the driver's seat. When they got out at the crime scene Tom took it out to give it back to Webb at the earliest opportunity.

2015 Local Time

Red Rock Mesa, AZ

Diane and Sarah took driving in the four hour trip. As they got closer to their destination, Sarah was driving without the headlights on. There was enough starlight to see the road. They stopped when they came upon a rusted sign that was incongruously pegged at the side of the road.

"Thank God it's still here," said Sarah about the sign.

"I don't see any buildings?" asked Harm

"They were razed years ago. What was left the desert took, except for this old sign," answered Sarah.

Harm approached the sign, "Hey, this would have been my kind of place, "Eats, Live Rattle Snakes, UFO Information" Harm said about the sign.

Sarah smiled as his vain attempt at humor. "About a mile out there is Red Rock Mesa. That's where Uncle Matt would be. The summer when Diane and I were eight years old he took our Mom and step father, our step brother Chris and us camping there for a week and we never saw another soul. He taught us how to look for them," said Sarah

"What, UFOs or rattlesnakes?" Harm asked in amusement.

"Ichnites"

"Ich. what?

"Ichnites, you know dinosaur tracks. It's much more fun than hunting their bones. The tracks tell their story. Were they hunting, running, playing?" said Sarah.

"I guess I never thought of dinosaurs playing," said Harm.

Sarah just smiled at that. Diane and Tom stood back and listened.

"Isn't it a hell of a long shot, him being up there, Sarah?" Harm asked.

"No there's a huge cave that's big enough to fit a Huey if you land it on a trolley and wheel it in. Uncle Matt said that he loved the isolation. It makes sense that he'd set up a base there with his Defenders," Sarah said with her fingers up in air quotes at her mention of 'Defenders'.

"Okay so how do we get him to fly down without damaging the DOI?" Harm asked.

"We let him know we're here," Tom said.

"How do we do that? We don't have a radio and even though our satellite phone works, we sure as hell don't know his cellphone number or if he even has one" Harm asked.

Tom replied with a suggestion, "Sarah, you use Morse Code with the Humvee lights to signal that you and Diane are here. While you do that Harm and I will take cover on either side of the road in the dessert. When you hear him coming Diane, you and Sarah wait in front of the Humvee with your shotguns. That way he gets the idea that you mean business."

"What if he has anyone with him?" Sarah said.

"Harm and I take them out before they get anywhere near you. I'm banking on the fact that O'Hara will have them hold off firing since you're family," Tom replied.

"It might work," Harm said.

Sarah said, "I know how good a shot Tom is but how good are you Harm?"

"Pretty good, I've been to sniper school at Quantico a few times and the same guy who teaches there also taught me," Harm said breezily.

'Who's that?" Diane asked.

"Ray Crockett," Harm replied.

"Oh yeah Gunnery Sgt Ray Crockett, he's a legend in the Corps," Sarah said.

Tom said "Okay sounds like a plan. Let's get dressed and then get into position."

They all donned the body armor and then Tom and Harm took their arranged positions.

Up on the mesa two pairs of eyes were looking out over the desert. They saw a few cars come down the road from either direction and stop at the sign. Some lingered a while and some moved on after about a minute. Now they saw blinking lights that seemed to be repeating a pattern.

One called back, "Colonel we have lights blinking in the desert!"

Colonel Matthew O'Hara came out to see what was going on. He took a pair of binoculars and peered at the lights. He said, "It's Morse Code."

"What's it's say sir?" one man asked.

"Stay quiet and give me a chance to read it Captain Cahill," O'Hara ordered.

"U~N~C~L~E M~A~T~T, S~A~R~A~H, A~N~D, D~I~A~N~E, W~E, N~E~E~D, T~O, T~A~L~K."

"Sarah and Diane? They need to talk? Here?" O'Hara said incredulously.

Back on the desert floor, Harm and Tom waited patiently in their places that weren't directly opposite each other. That way they wouldn't shoot each other. They were far enough away from the road that no matter which end of the Humvee the Huey landed, they had a clear shot of any occupants that could come out. They figured that O'Hara would land the Huey in front of the car, so that the headlights would illuminate the landing spot.

After about twenty minutes from when Sarah started signaling, they heard the familiar sound of the Huey in flight. She left on the headlights for the Humvee to indeed mark a landing spot for the Huey. Soon it landed just where they wanted it to.

Just before it flared in for a landing in the road, the flood light popped on. It illuminated Sarah and Diane standing in front of the Humvee with their shotguns up onto their shoulders ready to fire.

Seeing that his two nieces had weapons O'Hara turned toward the two other occupants with him and spoke some. The two jumped out, also with their weapons up and ready.

Just as the two defenders cleared and converged at the front bubble of the Huey, they went down as if they were undercut at the legs. They landed and started writhing in pain on the ground while holding their knees.

Sarah and Diane raced over to the Huey. While Sarah expertly covered them, Diane went over to the pilot's door and pointed her weapon into the cockpit at O'Hara. She made the cut-off motion with her hand across her throat.

O'Hara complied as he cut the engine and then climbed out with his hands up. Tom and Harm came up to the Huey and relieved the defenders of their weapons and had them make their way over to the Humvee. The two defenders could only crawl dragging their wounded legs along the dirt.

Diane ordered, "Uncle Matt cuff them together to the front bumper."

Without saying a word, O'Hara did as he was told. He turned back to the foursome and asked, "Now what?"

"Now we go up to the mesa and collect the DOI," Sarah said.

"Is there anyone else left up there?" Diane asked.

"Only Captain Cahill, he'll do what he's told," O'Hara said.

"Well you'd better tell him to surrender. Our orders are to get the DOI back by any means necessary," Sarah told him.

"Tom, you and Harm stay here while Sarah and I go up with Uncle matt," Diane suggested.

"No problem hon. Just be careful," Tom said as he went and gave her smooch for good luck.

When O'Hara flew off with the ladies Tom said, "Bring the first aid kit. Let's get them wrapped up."

In the meantime O'Hara flew his nieces up to the top of the mesa. Upon their arrival they found that O'Hara told the truth. Cahill readily helped lug the case with the Declaration of Independence onto the Huey.

As they boarded Diane ordered, "Captain put your hands through the bench rail in front of you between your legs."

When Cahill complied, Diane used a set of zip cuffs to secure him to the bench rail. The ladies sat on the bench opposite him and closed the hatches on either side of the Huey. O'Hara flew them back down to the Humvee.

By that time dawn was breaking.

"Land it on the side of the road Uncle Matt," Sarah ordered.

O'Hara did so. When they debarked from the Huey Tom and Harm secured the DOI case in the Humvee.

Tom told the ladies, "We called on the satellite phone for back-up transportation for the three defenders. We can't all fit into the Humvee with the case."

"How long until they get here?" Diane asked.

"They said within the hour and that was fifteen minutes ago," Tom replied.

They all hunkered down to wait. They distributed the water that was in the five gallon water can that came with the Humvee.

While they waited Diane said to her companions, "Let me take a look at this thing. My gut is telling me something is very wrong here."

Tom and Harm climbed into the back of the Humvee and opened the case up so that it was still out of the sun. They moved to stand outside the car to give Diane the room she needed.

The parchment was encased in a clear plastic paper case. After a cursory examination Diane said to her husband, "That son of a bitch. Come here Tom and take a look at this."

Tom did as he was asked. Diane pointed to the spot on the parchment she wanted him to see and asked, "Do you see the mistake?"

"Yeah I do. Here Harm and Sarah take a look," Tom suggested. He pointed to the same spot.

"I'll be damned," Sarah said as she and Harm also saw what was so important.

On the other side of the Humvee where they were sitting out of the sun O'Hara and the "defenders" had no idea what they were listening to and O'Hara didn't know if it was good or not.

It was another hour before they heard another helicopter flying in. When it landed on the opposite side of the road from O'Hara's Huey Webb and a company of 5 Marines filed out. They walked up to the waiting group of defenders and their captors.

As the prisoners were sorted and put into the copter, Webb went up to the JAG/NCIS party and said, "Well all's well that ends well."

"Yeah no thanks to you, Webb," Harm said.

"Well of course, you guys did it without me, I'm not going to take away your credit," Webb said indignantly.

"It's not that. This didn't need to happen and this isn't the real Declaration of Independence," Diane said.

"What do you mean? How do you know?" Webb said a bit disingenuously.

"I mean that while we were waiting here I took a look at the parchment. It was an excellent forgery," Diane said.

A forgery, what do you mean?" Webb asked

"Your forger misspelled one word, it's "inalienable" not "unalienable," Diane said in derision. She continued, "I bet if we dig very deep at the archives, we'll find out that you coerced them into going along with your scheme. They'll probably say why not, since the real DOI was never in any real danger."

Webb didn't have the courage to look at her because he knew he'd been found out. He just said, "They had to be stopped. They and all these other militia groups and wannabes that think they can overthrow the government."

"Be that as it may Webb, you haven't got the right to use entrapment to achieve your ends. That's the premise we're going to use to defend Uncle Matt," Sarah said. Tom, Harm & Diane nodded in agreement.

"Why do you want to defend him? He broke the law," Webb said.

"He's our uncle," Sarah told him.

Webb had to hang his head as he forgot that. He should have remembered that when the Larkins wanted to include Sarah in the team

Tom intervened at that point saying. "It's because of the law that we have to. They truth has to come out."

Harm went on, "Besides that, it's against the law for the CIA to work domestically against US citizens. That's for the FBI to do."

Tom continued, "I suggest you find your own way home to DC. You're not welcome on our flight. Oh and we're taking Uncle Matt and the phony DOI with us. And after we get O'Hara cleared, we'll step up to defend his other men as well."

At that the four hustled O'Hara into their Humvee. Tom had O'Hara sit in the back sit between him and Harm as they set off back to Yuma.

As they drove off Tom put the satellite phone on speaker and called, "Admiral Chegwidden, Lt. Commander Larkin. We have the parchment in our possession and Colonel O'Hara as our guest."

"Great work commander, make sure that the Webb and Federal Marshalls take custody of both," Chegwidden ordered.

"Uh sir that won't be necessary, Colonel O'Hara and the fake DOI are coming back to DC with us. Webb is finding his own way home," Tom announced.

"What do you mean fake? You're telling me that this was a set-up, for what purpose?" AJ roared over the phone.

"It was Webb's set-up. We don't know for what purpose," Tom began.

"I may be able to shed some light on that" O'Hara said.

"Do tell colonel," AJ said.

"I think I knew his father in Vietnam. The name didn't register to me until everyone here kept mentioning him. I'd have to refer to my records that I kept in my home in Yuma."

"Alright don't say anymore colonel this isn't a secure line. Commanders and Agent Larkin, secure the documents before you leave Yuma and get back to DC ASAP," Chegwidden ordered.

"Aye, aye sir Harm and Tom chorused.

When the ended the call Harm asked, "What happened with you and Webb's father in 'Nam?"

"I'm the guy that had Neville Webb sent home from Saigon in disgrace. We interrupted his business of dealing with the heroin dealers who were operating out of the Golden Triangle. They were feeding the CIA information on Viet Cong movements for exchange of the US DEA leaving them alone to do business. Our soldiers were getting high off that deal."

"I heard about that from some after war news stories," Harm said.

"Well we found out about it when a brigade of marines was sent into Laos to seek and destroy any Viet Cong that were detouring into Laos to supply the NVA in the south. Well one platoon, whose lieutenant was now Captain Cahill, came upon and got into a firefight with a heroin convoy coming down from the mountains. Before he was evacuated out Cahill retrieved some documents from the dead leader of the convoy. They detailed the agreement and named names who the deal."

"How did you get involved?" Tom asked.

That's how I got my MOH. I flew in there under heavy enemy fire to evacuate the company after they were surrounded by the drug dealers and then the Viet Cong. When I came back to my base in Da Nang, Cahill and I reported his story to my CO. He ran it by Military Intelligence and the DEA agents in country. After that it just blew up in everyone's faces. When they awarded me the metal, the powers that be assured me that they would take care of the heroin problem. Next I heard, Neville Webb's name came up and that he was shipped out of Saigon in disgrace."

"Some story," Sarah said.

"You're not kidding," Diane said in agreement.

"So how did you get involved with the Defenders?" Diane asked.

O'Hara sighed as he continued his explanation, "Cahill got me involved. It was never supposed to be a militia group at all. He wanted to bring the public's attention to the plight of the drug addicted veterans that came out of that war. He set up a website to detail and get our message out there. We never intended to go after anything like the DOI, but he kept getting e-mail messages telling him about its location. The other two marines, Logan and Ballard were in Cahill's company in Laos. They suggested going after it, as a way to use it for a backdrop to broadcast our message. So we planned a raid. We used some tear gas that Ballard had from his job as a deputy sheriff in Laughlin. I had the Huey from an air show I flew for. We forced the mail truck off the road, gassed the drivers and took the case. Then Logan posing as an FBI agent infiltrated the news van and fixed the receiver to accept our TV transmission. When we landed before Ballard and Logan never intended to shoot you as I told them not to."

"Well we didn't know that. All I saw was them pointing guns at my wife and sister-in-law," Tom said.

"Well at least you took care of them after that. They're lucky you missed and didn't kill them," O'Hara said.

"Colonel you have to realize it wasn't that we missed, it was that we hit what we were aiming for," Harm said.

O'Hara had the good grace to agree with that.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Twisted Timing**_

_**Chapter 5**_

Thursday, October 17, 1996

Matthew O'Hara's Residence

Yuma, AZ

It wasn't that long a drive back to Yuma. Harm and Tom pushed the speed limit to the max. They were afraid that the FBI had given into the notion of searching O'Hara's home for evidence of his whereabouts. Fortunately for the party, they found the house was unguarded and thusly untouched.

I wonder why the FBI didn't come here first," Sarah said.

"That's probably because it's still in your late Aunt Caroline's maiden name of Ryan. We decided to leave it in her name because of my deployments. When she died three years ago, I didn't have the heart to change it. I just continued to pay the property taxes," O'Hara explained.

"Lucky for us otherwise they would have found you documents and seized your computer," Diane said.

"Oh they would have gotten the computer, but not any e-mail documents that I printed. I kept them well hidden. Come on I'll show you," O'Hara said leading them into the house and down to the basement.

He went to a pegboard paneled wall on which a myriad of tools hung. Studs held the pegboard away from the sheetrock wall to allow for the installation of the hooks. O'Hara went to one side of the pegboard and pushed to release a spring catch. This allowed the pegboard on the studs to swing out from the sheetrock on cleverly concealed hinges. A portion of sheetrock also swung out revealing a wall safe behind. O'Hara opened the safe and removed the folders contained therein. He gave them to Diane and they went to another part of the basement where he had his computer system set up. He logged in and booted his e-mail account up. O'Hara opened the folder where he archived the e-mails from the person who told him of the location of the pseudo Declaration of Independence.

"Now you can see the hard copies and the electronic trail of information," O'Hara said rolling back from the desk for the four officers to see. There were over one hundred e-mail messages.

"Send these to my work e-mail and Sarah's home e-mail addresses," Diane instructed.

It took a while for that forwarding process to be completed.

When it was completed, Diane said, "Okay we take the computer and these documents with us to DC. We don't want anyone coming in to deleting this. Before you sign off let me go onto the NCIS web site to print up a chain of evidence document for all of us to sign and an affidavit for you to sign Uncle Matt that states that you allowed us full access to your home and computer and any related documents."

After the requisite documents were printed and signed the group set off for the Yuma MAS and flew the NCIS Gulfstream home to DC, minus one Clayton Webb.

Monday, October 28, 1996

JAG Headquarters

Washington Navy Yard

Washington, DC, SE

It took some convincing, but Major Sarah Mackenzie was to sit first chair as the defense counsel of her Uncle Matthew.

Colonel Watson at first wanted to assign another Marine attorney, but Tom and Harm convinced Chegwidden that she should be assigned as first chair and that Harm sit second to ensure that an emotional distance be kept.

Upon their arrival to DC O'Hara had been placed into Marine Custody at the Navy Yard Brig. Then they sifted through the e-mails verifying Webb's duplicity. Also Diane and Tom went back to Arizona to interview and line up some more witnesses.

Armed with that information, they went into court for the article 32 hearing.

Lt. Colonel Gordon Creswell, USMC was the prosecuting attorney while Major General Julius Alexander Randolph was presiding.

Diane and Tom sat together in the audience in the first row behind the defense's table.

The rest of the courtroom was packed with reporters and military officials, the Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) among them.

As the door at the entrance behind the bench opened the corporal on guard intoned, "All Rise."

"This court will come to order. In the case of O'Hara vs. the United States of America, all parties will be heard."

General Randolph sat and then said, "Is the prosecution ready?"

Creswell stood and replied, "Yes your honor we are."

"The defense?" Randolph asked.

Sarah rose and replied, "We are your honor. Also to save the court's time and expense we move that the charges against Colonel O'Hara be dismissed."

"Dismissed on what grounds, major? He stole the Declaration of Independence and assaulted federal officers doing so," Randolph said incredulously. He was surprised that Mackenzie would ask so soon.

"On the grounds of entrapment your honor, also he didn't steal any such thing. He was lured into taking a forgery of the actual document. Our witnesses will testify to that."

"Very well present your case," Randolph said.

Creswell jumped up and said, "Objection your honor the prosecution has built a strong case against Colonel O'Hara."

"Overruled colonel, in light of the defenses contention of entrapment your case may be rendered moot. We have to hear them out first. You may have an opportunity to rebut. Call your first witness major," Randolph ordered.

"The defense calls Abigail Chase," Sarah said.

The back doors to the courtroom opened and a blond woman marched proudly through and took her place on the witness stand.

After reciting the oath, Sarah started with, "Miss Chase can you please state your name and position for the record."

"Dr. Abigail Chase, I am the head curator of the National Archives."

"As curator of the National Archives what are you responsible for?"

"I am responsible for the conservation of the actual original documents of the United States Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and other historical documents."

"Referring to the Declaration, when was the last time it was moved?"

"Back in the sixties when it was transferred from the Library of Congress to the National Archives. Since then it is lowered down to the basement in its sealed container for storage everyday when the archives are closed to the public."

"What credibility can you lend to a story that the Declaration was being secretly moved to a lab in California to fix or restore the parchment to nearly its original state?"

"None whatsoever, it is impossible to restore the parchment to its original state without further ruining or even destroying it."

Why is that?"

"The years the parchment spent on display in the sunlight allowed the ultraviolet rays of the sun to fade the ink and scorch the parchment, much like when one gets a sunburn, making it extremely fragile. That is why the lighting in display room in the archives is very dim with UV filter lenses on all the light fixtures."

"What else is done to preserve the parchment?"

"Its display case is sealed in a state of anti-oxidation. The oxygen inside the container has been replaced by argon gas."

"I see. How do you explain this parchment?" Sarah asked as she pulled out a large portfolio case from behind the defense's table. She opened it and laid a parchment sealed in cellophane onto the table.

Chase replied, "Your honor my I stand and examine the item in question?"

"You may," General Randolph said.

Chase got up and went over to the table and looked closely at the faux parchment for a long bit of time. Finally she straightened and returning to the witness chair, said, "That is a very good forgery except for two things. Not only is "Unalienable" spelled incorrectly with a "U" instead of an "I", but so is "British". That word is spelled with two "Ts" B-R-I-T-T-I-S-H."

"Missed that one," Diane whispered to Tom. Tom smiled quickly.

"Dr. Chase do you have any idea as who may have made this document?" Sarah asked.

"I suppose any number of people who are good at calligraphy and making a paper or parchment appear aged."

"What was your reaction to when the defendant said on national TV that he had the real parchment in his possession?"

"I said no way. Our protocols do not allow for anyone, but the handpicked staff at the archives, to touch much less go near the original."

"Do you know a man named Clayton Webb?"

"No I do not."

"Thank you Dr. Chase. Your honor, I have no more questions," Sarah announced.

"Colonel?" Randolph said addressing Creswell.

"No questions your honor," Creswell replied.

"Then your honor I call Peter Marx to the stand," Sarah said.

When the corporal at the door stepped aside, an African man came in. He was dressed simply in a dark blue suit, white shirt and light blue tie.

When he recited the oath and sat, Sarah began with, "Please state your name and profession for the record."

"My name is Peter Marx. I'm a postal worker at the Phoenix Airport Postal depot."

"Could you please tell the court where you were on the afternoon of Monday, October 14,1996."

"I was driving a US postal truck on a road near Yuma, Arizona."

"Was anyone with you?"

"Yes another man named Joshua Kelly was riding shotgun. He works with me at the same Post Office depot in Phoenix."

"Were the two of you dressed as postal workers?"

"Yes we were."

"What was in the mail truck?"

"We were carrying a large black case that we were told contained a lot of classic movie scripts."

"What happened on that road?"

"A Huey type helicopter flew down and forced us off the road. Before we could react and get out, a tear gas bomb was thrown into the truck. We were unable to stop the men who took the case."

"Who signed you up to drive the truck and what did that person tell you?"

"Our supervisor asked for volunteers for job that would pay us a ton of overtime to just deliver the case to a warehouse in Los Angelis. We never thought that someone would try to steal it."

"So other than the gas irritating you, were you and Mr. Kelly injured?"

"No ma'am we weren't."

"No more questions your honor," Sarah told Randolph.

"Colonel Creswell?" Randolph asked the prosecution.

"No questions your honor," Creswell replied.

Sarah went on stating, "Your honor we call Ronald Wyatt to the stand."

A tall pudgy African American entered, went to the witness stand and recited the oath.

Sarah began again, "Mr. Wyatt please state your full name and occupation."

"Ronald Wyatt, I'm a supervisor at the Phoenix Airport Postal depot."

"Mr. Marx has testified that he received instructions from you to deliver a case to Los Angelis. How did that package come to the Phoenix Airport Depot?"

"It arrived on a regular postal flight in a cardboard packing box."

"Who was the box addressed to?"

"Someone named Clayton Webb at an address in Phoenix."

"Was he the one who asked to have the case delivered to Los Angelis by postal truck?"

"Yes he was. I told him the rate for doing the delivery that way would be very high as it would involve a lot of overtime for the men that would be assigned. He just pulled out his credit card and said, don't worry about it."

Sarah went back to the defense table and brought forth a receipt sealed in an evidence bag and asked, "Is this the credit card receipt he signed."

"Yes it is, and there is my employee number on the top denoting that I handled the transaction." Wyatt said pointing to the pertinent part of the paper.

"No further questions, your honor," Sarah said.

Creswell didn't have any questions either. He thought to himself disconsolately, "What hell was I handed? Someone's head will roll for this."

At the defense table Harm was having the completely opposite reaction. He was admiring how Sarah lined up all her ducks as witness after witness came forward to testify.

'She moves like a cat ready to pounce. She is so beautiful. God I can't wait to go on our date,' Harm thought to himself.

It came to an end after Sarah presented the e-mail hard copies and the documentation and testimony from NCIS' computer expert Timothy McGee verifying their origins.

Randolph called for a brief recess while he reviewed the evidence. He returned one hour later.

After everyone settled down he intoned, "Will the defendant and defense counsel please rise. Given the evidence presented, I have no choice but to drop the charges of grand theft against Colonel O'Hara. Also even though he assaulted Federal Postal Workers with the tear gas, that crime comes under the doctrine of "fruit of the poisonous tree" as they were induced to commit that crime by this Clayton Webb's e-mails. So by rule I must also dismiss those charges. Colonel O'Hara you are free to go with no fines or penalties levied against you. Also I will also forward my findings to the court hearing the case against the colonel's co-defendants in Arizona and advise them to come to a similar conclusion. This court is adjourned."

It wasn't until Randolph left the bench did Sarah, Harm and O'Hara start to celebrate.

Saturday, November 2, 1996

1100 Local Time

Capitol Apartments

Georgetown, DC, NW

When Harm entered the lobby he didn't need to push the button on the call-system as Diane and Tom held the door open for them as they were leaving. Tom asked him, "Hey ace, what's up?"

"Uhm I'm meeting Sarah we're spending the afternoon together then we're going to dinner," Harm responded.

Diane elevatored her eyes up and down Harm's tall frame admiring the nice black loafers, dark gray slacks, the dark blue shirt under a civilian leather jacket.

"Well have a good time," Diane said.

"What are you two up to?" Harm asked them as he waited for the elevator.

"We're shopping for living room and dining room furniture for the new house we bought last month. We want to move into there in two weeks. Just in time for Thanksgiving," Diane explained pulling Tom along.

"Well have a good time," Harm said as he waved from between the closing elevator doors.

He walked off on Sarah's floor and practically ran down the hall. He stopped at Sarah's apartment and took a breath. He rang her doorbell just once.

He was going to ring it again when he saw a shadow move in front of the peephole and then he heard the locks being disengaged.

When Sarah opened the door Harm admired that she was also wearing casual dark gray slacks and a pink pullover shirt.

"What a change from this morning after our run," Harm said stepping into the apartment as she moved aside to allow him entry.

The two met at Rock Creek Park at 0630 and ran a relaxing five miles together.

"Right back at Harm, what do you say we get going, we're burning daylight," Sarah said as she wound a red silk scarf around her throat.

"I'm with you counselor," Harm said.

He held Sarah's own brown leather trench coat for after she picked it up from where she draped it over the back of the couch.

They went downstairs to where Harm parked his Corvette. Then they were off.

It didn't take them long to reach Arlington Cemetery and the section where the fallen servicemen and women from the Vietnam War were buried. They had no problem finding their parents' gravesites. Coincidentally, they were buried in the same sub-section three rows apart.

They stopped at the Mackenzies' grave first.

Sarah lovingly placed the flowers she had against the headstone, stood and hooked her hands around Harm's arm and began speaking, "Hey mom and dad. I brought a new friend with me. His name is Harm and I think he likes me."

Harm chuckled softly at that as Sarah continued.

"His dad is buried a couple of rows away. Harm's a naval aviator like his dad, but don't hold that against him."

Harm rolled his eyes indulgently.

"Anyway we're just starting out and I hope he's there for the long run. So if you and Harm Senior can get together to look out for us, we'd really appreciate it. After this we'll start visiting you at "The Wall". I love you both."

They went over to Harm Sr.'s grave and placed a bouquet of flowers there. Then it was Harm's turn to speak from his heart. "Uh dad, I spoke with mom last night and told her I met someone special. Mom was so thrilled. I know it will last as I think Sarah likes me to."

Sarah smiled and gripped his arm tighter.

"I know you'll get together with the Mackenzies and be our guardian angels and keep us safe. Like Sarah said, we'll visit you at "The Wall" say this Christmas. Well we're just getting started on our day and I hope we have many more days like this. I love you."

At that the new couple walked arm in arm toward the car and their new life together.


End file.
